Just hold me
by Sorrelwing
Summary: A one shot of Wanda and Vision's first rendezvous following the raft breakout. Wanda tries to conceal her injuries from her brief imprisonment, but Vision soon learns the truth, and that night, Wanda has a nightmare that shows him that wounds can be emotional as well as physical.


**I love a romance, so here's a one shot of Wanda and Vision's first day in hiding together. At their rendezvous in Paris, Wanda tries to hide her Raft injuries but Vision soon learns the truth. I'm not sure as to whether they spent those two years entirely in Edinburgh, but I like the idea of them meeting and travelling around Europe. And isn't Paris more romantic?**

 **If you're interested, I have another one-shot on this pairing, a fix-it called 'Little Miracle', which is set after A4.**

It took her a few moments to recognize him.

Wanda stared at this blonde man, fascinated, confused, and afraid all at once. Vision had informed her about his new ability when they'd arranged their meeting point, but she was still uncertain, even after reading his mind. "Vizh?" He nodded, with his always bashful smile, the one she knew even in his disguise.

All doubt and fear was forgotten as Wanda threw her arms around him, her face buried into his coat. "I've missed you." She murmured. Vision hesitated briefly, for he'd only had a few hugs in his first year of life - he wasn't always sure how to respond. Tony had given him one once, when he was drunk at New Year's Eve.

 _"Mr Stark, you are heavily intoxicated and it's starting to concern Captain Rogers and Colonel Rhodes. I would strongly advise -"_

 _"Ssh! Let me think! God you're so freakishly tall - Pepper! Happy! Look - Pepper, look at what happened to Jarvis, I'm so proud of him -"_

This was certainly his favourite hug so far. Wanda held him tightly, her cheek warm against his chest. Something within him seemed to melt - his arms wrapped gently around Wanda, his eyes tightly closed. They held one another for a few long moments, before she pulled back to look at him properly.

"Wanda, thank goodness you're alright... how are you? Are you well?" Wanda evaded the question, perhaps out of joy at seeing him - or because she didn't want to answer. She pulled her scarf a little higher around her neck, wincing as she did, and Vision's brow furrowed at the brief look of discomfort.

"Oh my god. Look at you." Fascinated, she glided her fingers through his blonde hair, her palm brushing his face as she went; it wasn't entirely by accident. His hair and skin was soft and felt so human-like between her fingertips. And while she missed his true form, it was hard to ignore the fact that he'd crafted a rather attractive disguise. For a moment, Vision leaned his face into her hand.

"Do I look... convincing enough?" He was paranoid about becoming distracted and his true form revealing itself, especially with so many people jostling past in the Parisian street. That would be difficult to explain when he returned to the compound... he dreaded the idea of Tony running out, brandishing footage of him appearing in the middle of Paris.

"You look very convincing. And you still look like you." His face was so different and yet, it was _his_ face. The shape was so familiar, and his eyes, despite a lack of gears and minute machinery, were the same blue colour, still _his_ eyes. Wanda finally dropped her hand from his face, although they still remained close.

"How are you, really? You seem... evasive." Vision was worried by how different Wanda looked. Tired, wary of getting recognized; right now she was focused on him, but when he had first caught sight of her, her eyes were nervously flickering about, as though making sure that no one was giving her a suspicious stare.

There was darkness pooling under her beautiful green eyes, which were less bright. She seemed thinner than he remembered, even in the few short days that had passed. Her skin seemed more pale, she wore no makeup at all, and her newly ginger hair was so different from her natural brown; although, in his eyes, she was always beautiful no matter what she looked like. Wanda was also wearing a thick grey scarf around her neck, even though she rarely wore one and the weather wasn't particularly cold.

"I'm okay." Wanda lied, avoiding his searching gaze. She quickly changed the subject - the look on his face said it all, that he had other suspicions. "You've been busy. How did you book a hotel, let alone get here? Surely you didn't fly all the way across the Atlantic?"

"Well, once I'd perfected my human appearance, I visited a gentleman who made me some falsified documents, including a passport." Wanda was surprised; Vision was so honest, a fake passport was certainly the most outrageous thing he'd ever done. "I did have to falsify a lot of information, such as my name and date of birth..."

"I didn't think you could pass for a one year old." Wanda smiled and so did he.

"As for securing the required payment, Mr Stark gave me a credit card at Christmas." Their first and only Christmas as a team. They'd all scratched their heads, not sure whether to get anything for Vision - after all, what could an android want or need? Wanda herself had got him a journal. And then there was Tony, who, with his ridiculously large disposable income, had presented him with a credit card linked to his account, telling him to "buy some more sweaters". He'd joked that Vision would probably never use it, so he was unworried about Vision having access to his money.

They began to walk, and suddenly, Wanda took his hand. Vision looked surprised for a moment, but then he responded with a gentle squeeze, feeling the warmth of her small hand, the warm metal of her rings. They sat on a bench by the river Seine, talking for hours, discussing plans to visit the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, what country they might want to visit next. They never stopped holding hands.

The hotel room was softly lit, with two beds covered in white linen sheets. It was a welcome change from the leaky motel she'd been hiding in. Although it was a bag on one of the beds that caught her attention.

"Thank you for this." Wanda gave him a grateful glance. He'd even packed her jewellery box. She lifted the lid, relieved to see her favourite rings and necklaces, including the ones she'd worn in Sokovia; she could feel a little more like herself. Reminded of her home, Wanda soon spotted something far more precious among her clothes. She was quiet for a few moments, simply looking at the photograph of her brother.

Vision was a little anxious. "I brought as much as you could be able to comfortably carry. I tried to focus on clothing that was favoured by you. I hoped that the picture would be of comfort."

"You've brought more than enough." Wanda blinked rapidly, smiling at the picture of Pietro. Beginning to relax, Wanda went to take off her coat as Vision's own phased away to a sweater. Yet she forgot something, and suddenly her mind was a mess. Her scarf snagged on her coat zipper.

Wanda released an involuntary gasp as the scarf briefly tightened around her neck, and she frantically pulled at it to loosen its grip on her throat. Vision whirled round at her gasp, and Wanda quickly seized the scarf before it could fall. They both froze. Vision was staring at her. Wanda's throat suddenly felt thick with tears which only made her grip on the scarf tighter, as she desperately tried to hide what lay beneath. He'd already glimpsed the darkness.

"Wanda - what is that?" One of his hands moved toward the scarf but Wanda backed into the wall, clutching it in place, shaking a little as the memories washed over her. Vision didn't move, her terror freezing him to the spot.

"It's nothing." Wanda insisted, but her strangled voice revealed the truth. Vision continued to stare at her, fear spreading across his face. She was frightening him, there was some horrible secret buried. Wanda stared back, panic building within her. She hadn't wanted him to see it, she'd been hiding it all evening, but now her plan had fallen apart.

"Wanda, please..." Vision took an uncertain step towards her, and she didn't back away this time. Her hands trembled slightly, the scarf starting to slip as she started to give up, knowing it was too late. "Please, let me see. I just want to help you..." Her entire body shook but there was no point in hiding it anymore. Wanda slowly unwrapped the scarf, letting it fall to the floor. Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked at him. Vision's eyes fixed upon her throat, frozen.

Something happened that had never happened before. Vision's hand came up to cover his mouth, his disguise slipping away, and she saw the gears in his eyes contracting faster than ever as they reappeared. "I..." He was lost for words, gaze filled with shock and horror.

There was a fierce band of red across Wanda's throat, raw and pink with burns and stained blood. There were still tiny puncture marks where the prongs had pierced her neck. Around the burns, her ivory skin was a brutal patchwork of grey and black, like ash. The blood was days old, dark crimson and dried to her skin, but Wanda couldn't bear to touch it, to even rinse it off. It hurt, and she was afraid that if she touched it, she'd feel the shock again...

Wanda sank into a chair, her hand covering her face as tears began again. Vision knelt beside the chair, the mind stone seeming to glow brighter as his thoughts raced. He gently moved her hair aside, so he could see more of the damage, and Wanda flinched ever so slightly, making him quickly retract his hands.

"Don't." She whispered, and at first he thought it was a warning not to touch her injury. But then Vision felt her presence within his mind, and he realized she could hear his guilt and regret. "Don't you blame yourself."

"Why didn't you tell me... why did they..."

"I didn't want you to feel bad. I don't blame you, you had no idea what they'd do to me... they thought the collar would - would stop me from using my abilities..." Wanda closed her eyes, images of that short yet terrible time in the Raft flashing behind them.

"But... an electroshock collar. What kind of person... who would allow that to be used on a human being? On _you?"_ The way he referred to her - as though she were so much more. As though the idea of such a wicked device being used on her was too much to bear.

"They didn't see me as human, Vision." Wanda pressed her knuckles to her lips, looking at him through glazed eyes. "Do you understand that?" Vision only looked at her, silent, unable to find words. Wanda closed her eyes again, tears seeping through the lids. His hand reached to tenderly brush them away, and she lifted her face to look at him, confused by the warm traces his knuckles had left on her cheeks.

"I'm going to get you something for your injury."

* * *

Vision couldn't sleep that night.

Raindrops pattered softly against the window, trickling swiftly down the glass. Normally he loved watching the rain, could watch it for hours, but tonight, he couldn't keep his eyes off her. Wanda slept in a soft black long-sleeved pyjama top, her ginger hair in a braid, exposing her damaged skin. The only light was the dim streetlight filtering in through the curtains, but he could see the marks clearly.

Wanda had finally relented and let him go fetch her some medical supplies to help soothe her electrical burns. He'd helped her gently wash the blood away over the sink when she couldn't bear to touch the area herself. She seemed a lot more comfortable, her throat looked less raw. But the burns and former bloody marks were branded into his mind.

What was happening to him? He felt - not a physical pain - but an ache, deep inside his chest, and a sickening feeling within his belly. The latter, he knew, was a desperate desire to turn back time, to do something differently. It was regret, immense guilt. The idea of her, in agony, tortured him inside. How much pain had she endured, to receive such damage to her throat..?

He was angry at Secretary Ross, Tony, and most of all, himself. Couldn't he have taken her somewhere safe before the airport was invaded? Couldn't he have done something differently, to prevent her from ever falling into their cruel hands? But as for the ache inside his chest... it was something else. Like... Wanda was all that mattered. All he wanted was to protect her, to make her happy. That warm feeling he felt everytime he laid eyes on her, when he saw her smile... what was it?

It was here he noticed something odd. A red mist was floating over Wanda's bed, she was muttering inaudibly. Sleep had often been uneasy for her; her first few months after moving in the compound, the team had been sometimes been woken by screaming or crying. The first time it happened, they'd come running to Wanda's bedroom to find Natasha holding her in the middle of the floor, mouthing the word, 'Pietro' over Wanda's shoulder as she had wept against the older woman. But this wasn't a dream about her brother.

"No..." A whisper of a voice filled with terror. "Please..." Something was wrong. A sickening feeling washed over Vision.

"Wanda?" He slipped out of bed, quietly moving to her bedside, but she didn't hear him. Her face turned from side to side, and she was twitching, her limbs occasionally jerking and her fingers digging into the sheets. Glowing scarlet ribbons crept across the quilt and throughout the room; several objects started to float, a cup of tea smashing as it was pushed off a table. Her throat was constricting and she gasped as though she couldn't breathe.

Vision said her name more urgently, his fingers brushing her face, but it was cold and damp with sweat. Her lips were parted, moving to form words but no sound, as though she were afraid to speak or move - as though any slight movement or sound would cause her pain. Vision considered looking into her mind; the first time he had done that, a few weeks after his creation, she had ended up throwing him through a window... but he didn't have to look.

Wanda started screaming. Her powers lashed out, burning into his mind an image: her, convulsing and writhing in agony as light sparked from the collar strangling her neck.

 _"No! No!"_

 _"_ Wanda!"

She flew forwards and he rushed to catch her before she could fall out of bed. Her wild eyes blazed red in the darkness as she struggled against him, still caught in the nightmare, struggling to breathe.

"I can't breathe, I can't -" Wanda's fingernails dug into his shoulders, so hard they would have torn human skin, as she gasped for breath. Vision didn't think, all he was knew what that he had to hold her, to help her remember where she was, that it wasn't real.

"It's alright! It was just a nightmare, it's alright, Wanda..." Vision held her tight, not knowing what else to do - he didn't want her to hurt herself in her frenzied state. Her struggles ceased, and she breathed heavily. She was knelt against him, arms still thrown around him, shaking with terror. "I got you." He whispered, softly.

Slowly, Wanda realized that she was safe, that it was just a nightmare. Vision was holding her securely yet gently, the most caring pair of hands holding her close to him. It was so unlike the cruel, rough grasp of the guards as they had launched her into the cell. Unlike the cold, empty air of the Raft, Vision was warm and solid, and she felt the soft linen beneath her knees as opposed to metal.

There was no heavy murmur of the ocean against a metal container, nor the echoing footsteps of guards, only the patter of raindrops on the windows. It was just the two of them, alone in the warm darkness of the hotel room in Paris. The scarlet fire died in her eyes, and the soft green came flooding back underneath the glisten of tears.

"Vizh..." Wanda's voice cracked as she finally met his stricken gaze. She stopped fighting, but didn't let him go, her gasps for breath turning to sobs as her panic became distress.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." Vision whispered, his hands cradling the sides of her face. Wanda slowly regained her senses, her iron grip on him going slack. She shook her head, moaning softly, as she slipped out of his arms and back onto the bed. Vision sat beside her, holding her hands. Wanda looked into his eyes, only to be distracted by a single tear running down his face.

"You... you can do that?" She asked, in awe. Vision hadn't noticed the tear creeping out of his eye, and he looked as surprised as she was when he brushed it away with his sleeve. Yet it soon passed - Vision was far too focused on her to really observe the fact that an android had the ability to cry.

Wanda reached up to gently wipe away a new tear that was trickling down his face. "It wasn't your fault... I don't blame you..." Her voice was so weak as she sat with her head in her hands on the bed. Her hand came up to touch her throat, and her eyes pressed shut. She began to weep, and Vision looked on in fear and guilt.

"Wanda, what can I do? I don't know how to help - please tell me..." Wanda was in too much distress to hear him. Vision initially began to panic as he couldn't think of anything to say. Then he thought; words weren't necessary to comfort someone. A little uncertainly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

He expected her to flinch or push him away, but instead, she sank heavily into his side. One of her hands clung to his shirt, as she cried weakly into his chest. His hand came up to cradle her head against his chest, his other arm holding her to him, as she released all her emotions that she had been smothering for a week. After a while, her shaking started to subside, her tears slowing, comforted by his warmth. They stayed there for some time, in silence, the only sound being the gentle sound of rain on the windows. Finally, Wanda pulled away, although Vision found himself gently brushing away any remaining tears on her face. She smiled through tear-filled eyes.

"I'm... I'm okay, now. Thank you..." Vision found himself not wanting to leave her side, but he respected her space. A little reluctantly, he went to stand, but he was surprised when she suddenly took his hand. She changed her mind, worried that the dreams would come back. "Wait."

"Yes, Wanda?" There was a tenderness in his eyes that she had never seen before. Her own eyes were very soft in the dark.

"Don't go. I don't want to sleep alone... and you make me feel safe. Would you..."

"You... you want us to sleep in the same bed?" Oh, he wanted to. The idea of sharing a bed with her, feeling her warmth and just being close to Wanda in general filled his chest with longing. Vision was shocked at himself; where had that come from, what did it mean? But his thoughts returned to her request, and suddenly he was anxious. Surely social convention said that this wasn't appropriate? "I - well, I would certainly like to - no, that's not what I meant at all - I -" Despite everything, Wanda felt a smile tug at her lips as he started to stutter. She silenced him with a kiss to the cheek.

"You're adorable, Vizh. Just... hold me. Please?"

That kiss to the cheek, and being referred to as 'adorable', seemed to have placed him into a trance. Vision had a slightly glazed look in his eyes, and he would do anything she asked. To hell with social etiquette - he would do anything to make her feel safe. Wanda lifted the sheets and Vision slid into the bed beside her, ensuring to leave her plenty of room, but to his surprise, Wanda snuggled directly into his side, her hand and cheek on his chest.

"I'm glad you found me." Wanda murmured, sleepily. She drifted away, wondering to herself, about this strange feeling. It was a warmth, a desire to do more than kiss his cheek. She was starting to suspect what this feeling was. She remembered how he took care of her earlier, tending to her injury, comforting her from that terrible nightmare moments before. Vision held her close, remembering how tenderly she'd brushed away his first tears, the trust she'd placed in him, how she had held his hand on their walk through Paris.

For both of them, simply seeing each other smile felt like flying over the highest cloud.


End file.
